Rubin Kazan Create History In Russia

as seen on Sports Pundit

Tatar upstarts Rubin Kazan have this weekend become one of the great footballing stories by becoming the first non-Moscow club to claim the Russian Premier League title in successive seasons.

Rubin drew 0-0 with Zenit St Petersburg on Saturday, while their closest rivals Spartak Moscow lost 3-2 to CSKA, to hand the title to the Kazan-club with one game to spare.

The little-known club, who were only promoted to the top flight in 2003, have produced a brilliant campaign on the back of last season’s surprise title victory.

BACK-TO-BACK JOY
The extent of their achievement is all the more clear considering at the start of the season few critics offered them any chance of retaining their title.

But Rubin kept most of the key members of their 2008 title winning squad together and under the guidance of Turkmen boss Kurban Berdiyev managed to keep the championship out of Moscow for another year.

Russian international and Rubin skipper Sergei Semak commented, “This title means much more for us than the first.

"We had to fight probably three times harder than last year. This time our main rivals were chasing us to the very end.Rubin's linchpin Semak could depart

"We also had to prove that last year's win was no fluke. We showed a great team spirit and comradeship."

RUBIN'S DANCING BOSS
Rubin’s manager Kurban Berdiyev was so overjoyed by his club’s victory he was seen on Russian TV dancing a restaurant.

And a joyous Berdiyev later laughed off his embarrassment, saying, “In my youth, after victories we would gather at a restaurant - not all of us drank, but everyone danced.

"When I learned that they had shown me on television, I nearly died of shame."

And while Rubin’s joy will go on for some time, a repeat of their success in 2010 looks unlucky with a player exodus expected to finally occur in the close-season.

PLAYER EXODUS ON THE CARDS?
Argentine striker Alejandro Dominguez, who contributed 16 goals this term, is all but certain to leave Russia with his family unsettled, while young sensations Aleksandr Bukharov and Alexander Ryazantsev along with club stalwart Semak could be lured away.

Rubin president Alexander Gusev revealed, "We have offers from Russian and foreign clubs for almost all of Rubin's leading players.

"Our main task is to keep the backbone of the team. It won't happen for everyone - Dominguez, most likely, will leave."

Indeed, repeating their unprecedented title success, and keeping the title out of Moscow again, could prove very difficult for Rubin. But history will now show, they’ve done it before.

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